A monetary prize offered for proving homeopathy works

One of Britain’s leading researchers into complementary medicine offered £10,000 to the first person to prove homeopathy works.

Professor Edzard Ernst – a former homeopath himself who now researches complementary medicine at Exeter University – said 200 strictly controlled trials had failed to find any evidence that homeopathy worked.

‘If you do a systematic look at all the evidence you fail to demonstrate strong evidence in favour of homeopathy,’ he added.

Some selectively pick studies that support the treatment, but ignore those that don’t, or misquote the findings of trials, or rely on flawed studies, he claimed.

Dr Simon Singh, who co-authored the book Trick or Treatment with Professor Ernst, said homeopathy only worked as a placebo.

‘If homeopathy could be proven to be effective it might earn the researcher a Nobel Prize in Medicine,’ he said.

‘He or she would also deserve Nobel prizes in chemistry and physics because the laws of science would need to be re-written.’

To win the money, homeopaths will need to publish evidence through the Cochrane Collaboration, a respected UK independent group which investigates medicines.

Last night, the British Homeopathic Association claimed the challenge was nothing more than a gimmick to boost sales of Professor Ernst’s book.

One Comment

A former homoeopath announcing a prize to prove that it does not work ? – This is like a student who miserably failed in a subject announcing out of desperation a prize asking others to desist from appearing for the subject!!! But Homoeopthy will go on and on!!!

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